


obscurials never die

by artsyspikedhair



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Ableism, Autistic Credence Barebone, Autistic Newt Scamander, Gellert Grindelwald Being Creepy, Homophobia, Jewish Character, Mary Lou Barebone is Her Own Warning, Obscurial Credence Barebone, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Religious Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 05:11:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10847154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artsyspikedhair/pseuds/artsyspikedhair
Summary: Newt never saw the body that Credence's obscurial belonged to. But it didn't matter, because obscurials can sense each other, and when Credence sensed someone else, someone like him, inside the suitcase, he jumped in, Graves and consequences be damned.





	obscurials never die

There's a boy in Newt's suitcase. 

Not an occamy, not another male Niffler (thank God), but a real live human boy. Inside of the firmly latched suitcase that Newt had tied up with twine after dealing with the Obscurial. Newt had boarded the boat and walked into his suitcase to deal with the magical feeding of his creatures, but instead of his creatures being out to greet him, they were in their homes, and this new, mysterious boy was inside Newt's suitcase. 

"Who are you? What are you doing in my suitcase?" Newt asked, frantically looking to ensure none of his beasties had been hurt. All appeared to be in order, but Newt didn't trust this newcomer, although he did vaguely recognize him from Tina's memory in her deathsoup the time they were almost executed by the American government. 

Newt watched as the boy curled in on himself, afraid. "I, uh- I was talking to that girl." Credence pointed at the Obscurial. "You had said you didn't want to hurt me, back down in the subway tunnel, and I had nowhere else to go. If- if you don't want me I'll leave." 

"You-you can talk to her? But I killed her, back in Sudan! How can you-talk- can you talk to dead people?" 

Credence curled up even smaller, hands wrapped around his knees. "I don't think so. She's not- she doesn't seem dead." And with that, Credence tried to conjure his magic. Nothing happened. So he thought about his mother's beatings, the terrible awakening he'd had when he told Graves the first time about his failure, the way the priest had called him a sodomite for something he didn't ever want to have happened, Graves' hands moving lower and lower, "Don't scream, Credence. You don't want your mother to see you in bed with a witch, do you?", and Credence was no longer Credence. He floated up to the other Obscurial. She seemed to be responding to his memories. 

"I'm sorry he touched you." she said. Newt could not understand what was being said, but it appeared that Obscurials were like Parseltongues, with a language they could speak without thinking. A language that was not Sudanese nor English. Newt ran to his manuscript, jotting down all he was witnessing. The Sudanese Obscurial continued. "My father- he thought demons only took virgins, so the same sort of thing happened. The monster still took over. Newt- Newt thinks he killed me, but I'm still here. I'm like a ghost, I haunt the only form I've ever known. He killed my body, not me." 

Credence's Obscurial was weakening. "Can we not die then? I don't want this- I don't want to have everyone think I'm dead when I'm not." 

"I don't know." The girl had never thought of dying. She was never getting older, so how could she die? Was she even alive? "Credence, you should tell Newt I'm still here." 

Credence slowly took corporeal form. He was exhausted, imagining a life where he would be consumed by the darkness forever, with no aging nor anyone to converse with, except maybe his new friend, if Newt allowed. "She's alive. She said you had only killed her human body, not her magic one." 

"Oh. I'm sorry I thought you were dead!" Newt called out to the girl. She bobbed in response. Newt hoped he was forgiven, but he had more important matters."Uh, boy, do you want to help me feed the animals? You still haven't told me your name. I'm Newt." 

"Credence. I'm sorry, I shouldn't. I don't want to hurt them." 

"Okay, then just, ah, stay put while I do the feeding. Or you can follow, if you want." And with that, Newt got out his wand, and began sending food this way and that, to the animals that could take magical feedings. To the babies, he hand fed them, giving bottles to the babies who had been found without mothers. Newt was their mother now. 

When Newt was finished, he invited Credence into his workshop. "I hope you don't mind, I took notes on what I saw of you and Samar. I couldn't understand your conversation, if that helps. It's for my book, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". It's just, I'm a scientist, and there has never been a study on Obscurial communications." 

"It's, uh, it's okay. Do you want any, er, repayment for taking me in? Sorry, that was-" 

"What kind of repayment are we talking about?" 

"I'm sorry, I can still go. I have skills cooking, so I could help with making feed for your animals. I could als- my last boss had me tend to his- er, more primal needs, which I have become capable of handling well. I don't cry or scream or anything." 

"That will not be necessary. I do not know what primal needs you speak of, but I assure you, you do not need to do anything that will hurt you for my sake. I am the adult here, and I suppose I am in charge of you now until you decide to leave. Feeding the animals though, I could use help on that."

"Thank you, sir!" Credence sounded a bit like one of Newt's house elves from his childhood home, which made him think about how much Credence reminded him of himself. Newt spoke without thinking. 

"Have you ever been tested for schizophrenia?" Credence paled. 

"No, sir. My ma threatened to if I didn't stop moving so much or talking to myself. She thought she could train the devil outta me. Apparently my oddities were caused by my eating to much, so she switched me to one meal a day." 

"Ah, well, I was just wondering because I was diagnosed with it myself as a child, and you remind of me. In the wizarding world they've started calling it something else, autism. It's not caused by the devil though, and if you ever want to move or talk to yourself, I won't stop you." 

"Really? You won't beat me for being a limp-wristed homosexual?" 

"Is that what she called you?" 

Credence nodded. "She did when I was younger, because I used move my hands too much. That's why I have so many marks on them. She was right though. I did end up committing sodomy, and I'm a witch so I'm going to hell anyway." 

"Credence, you are a wizard. It is not a sin to exist. Was the sodomy-er, you mentioned your last boss made you take care of his primal urges- was that done willingly?" 

"I'm sorry, I don't know, sir. He said it was payment for his feeding me when I had failed to deliver him the child. It hurt a lot, and sometimes my backside still bleeds. I needed the food, though. Ma would beat me worse if I fainted, and she never stopped with the one meal a day thing." 

Newt sighed, but he wanted to assure Credence. "Look, sodomy done under coercion does not mean you are going to hell. I'm not Christian, but according to what your lot calls the Old Testament, any sin committed to save your life is seen as holy in the eyes of God, because destroying life is the worst sin one can commit." 

"I- I didn't know there were religions other than Christianity. What religion are you, that means I'm not going to Hell?" 

"I'm Jewish, Credence, and so are your friends the Goldstiens. Remember Tina, who tried to take you from your mom?" 

"Yeah, she was nice." 

"She's Jewish too, and a lot more knowledgeable than I am. You can write to her with your questions if you'd like. We'll be visiting her when my book is finished." 

"Okay. This is a lot to take in though. Do you mind if I take that chair to sleep in?" Credence pointed to the chair that Newt had padded for when he fell asleep writing. Newt nodded, and Credence began the first restful sleep he had had in months.


End file.
